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The world's mysterious mangrove forests captured in 13 striking images
Eerie trees, prowling tigers and rare dolphin hunting behaviours have been featured at the 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards.
TL;DR
- Mangrove forests are transitional ecosystems between land and sea, supporting diverse wildlife and offering protection for rare species.
- The 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards feature striking images from around the world, highlighting the beauty and ecological importance of mangroves.
- These forests provide habitats for animals like royal Bengal tigers, mudskippers, bottlenose dolphins, green turtles, and various bird species.
- Mangroves contribute to adjacent ecosystems like seagrass meadows and coral reefs, store significant amounts of carbon, and protect coastlines from storm surges.
- They serve as nursery grounds for commercially important fish and offer coastal protection for over 150 million people.
- Threats to mangroves include pollution, deforestation for development, and climate change impacts.
- Global mangrove cover has experienced a net increase between 1985 and 2025.